


Color and Costume Analysis of "Miss Scarlet and the Duke"

by PopsicleToes33



Category: Miss Scarlet and the Duke (TV 2020)
Genre: Alibi, Costume Analysis, Masterpiece Theatre, Miss Scarlet and the Duke - Freeform, Other, pbs
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-10
Updated: 2021-03-10
Packaged: 2021-03-17 04:01:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,302
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29960649
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PopsicleToes33/pseuds/PopsicleToes33
Summary: For fans of the TV Series (Alibi and PBS Masterpiece) "Miss Scarlet and the Duke," I present this multi-post analysis of the use of colors in costuming as it represents the various characters and their relationships within the series. These posts originated in the "Scarleteers - Fans of Miss Scarlet and the Duke" fandom group on Facebook.Please note here that format issues do not allow me to add photos for context, so those reading can either find my posts in the Scarleteers group - or imagine the photos from the series / show as we go along.
Comments: 1
Kudos: 20





	1. Chapter 1

Color and Costume Analysis Post 1  
Miss Scarlet and the Duke - Eliza in Blue: Family and her Orbit  
Originally posted in the "Scarleteers: Miss Scarlet and the Duke" Fan group on Facebook on March 3, 2021

I checked in with one of our wonderful mods to get permission to post a series of interpretations on the use of color in story-telling. Art directors and costumers often use colors thematically in a scene to convey ideas about a character, their feelings, and relationships to those within their orbit.  
The color story can also be used to show how relationships evolve using different colors, patterns and fabrics that either complement or clash, depending upon the narrative and where each character is vis-à-vis their relation to others. They also help us pick up on sub-textual clues as that can help determine the story trajectory.  
For transparency, I learned to pick up on these subtleties by following a duo of fashion bloggers who have also published extensive costume analyses for other series, most notably Mad Men.

I plan multiple posts – 1. Miss Scarlet and her relation to “Home” 2. Miss Scarlet and Rupert, and finally, 3. Miss Scarlet and Duke (I know, I know, I’m saving them for last).

First. BLUE AS HOME.

We know blue is Eliza’s uniform color. It’s the color she wears when she is “on the job” in the suit with stripes, and is the color she wears with the softer, more feminine details, when we find her at home after her father’s funeral and on a few other occasions. But look at the color inside Eliza’s home. Her parlor is resplendent with different shades of blue, in the wallpaper and the paint, and even in the light blue-green of the kitchen. Blue represents home, both in the space she dwells in, as well as the vocation she has chosen for herself. It is where she is her most comforable, professionally, and personally.

This is presented in not only scenes with Eliza as an adult, but most cleverly conveyed when we see her as a young girl. In the flashback scenes, we see her in a sepia-toned past, but through the use of selective desaturation (or saturation, in this case), she is in a dark, denim-blue dress. So “blue” and the idea of blue => detective work => home was with her from the beginning. 

Now, let’s look at Henry. When we see Henry after his death, where he comes to Eliza through her memory, he is wearing deep navy blue, almost black. He still represents “home” to her, and her feelings about home, and as a detective. Contrast this with the flashback scenes, and he is in a tweedy brown. This is a memory, and a specific memory tied to her early inklings as a young detective. And since memories are faded, then the coloring of the Henry of her childhood is faded, as well.

We also see Ivy as home, but beyond that, as the mother or Madonna figure. And while this was pretty obvious given the length and depth of their relationship, it’s reinforced by the color and sartorial choices the costumers and directors made using subtext.

Like Henry, Ivy wears a darker shade of blue than Eliza. And the floral motif in her blouse reflects the pattern in the parlor wallpaper (home), but is also a more traditional feminine shape and style for the time, which contrasts with Eliza’s more modern stripes that also represent the masculine.

As such, the traditional feminine conveys the idea of mother, and that is further reinforced looking at centuries’ worth of paintings depicting the original "mother" in literature, the Madonna figure, where the Madonna is cloaked in robes of a brilliant, rich blue.

That the cut of Ivy’s blouses are also more embellished and traditionally female speaks to her role as a homemaker and mother.

That’s it for today. We’ll get to Rupert and William (Oof! There’s a LOT!) later, but these are just a few nibbles of things you might want to keep your eyes open for during your next viewing(s)!


	2. Color/Costume Analysis 2: Eliza in Blue - Rupert as Friend/Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is my second in a series of color and costume analyses for the TV show "Miss Scarlet and the Duke." These posts were originally posted in the "Scarleteers : Fans of Miss Scarlet and the Duke" fan group page on Facebook, and have the benefit of photographs. I've tried to be specific where I can for those who do not have access to the group (please join if you are a fan), or you can follow along by watching the series.

Color and Costume Analysis Post 2  
Miss Scarlet and the Duke - Eliza in Blue: Rupert as Friend/Family  
Originally posted in the "Scarleteers: Miss Scarlet and the Duke" Fan group on Facebook on March 4, 2021

BLUE AS FRIENDSHIP/BUSINESS/FAMILY - Eliza and Rupert

Here’s the second in my series of costume/color theory posts. Grab a snack or a glass of wine, and let’s settle in, shall we?  
In the first post, I spoke of the color blue and how it relates to home and family for Eliza. With her father gone, Eliza has no blood family left (that we know), so she creates family through those around her, and the filmmakers use color to express that.

I want to thank Bella Mason for pointing me to the Andrew Gower Fans website where I could pull high-rez stills for this post, as opposed to screencaps from my iPad. So very helpful. Thank you! 

Let’s talk about Eliza and Rupert, and how the color blue evolves in their relationship - especially as it relates to the evolution of their relationship through the series. 

EPISODE 1. When we first meet Rupert Parker, he socially awkward, and seen berated by his mother, who treats him as a child. During this meeting with Eliza, before Eliza knows of her father’s death, Rupert is wearing a nondescript, green (sometimes brown-looking) suit that disappears into the green velvet of the sofa he’s sitting on (Epi 1, a). This muted color defines his role as someone who blends in with society rather than standing out, and also speaks to his level of confidence given his treatment by his mother. Note how his posture is also diminished under his mother’s bombastic personality, which is also expressed in her clothes.

Mrs. Parker wears widow weeds as would be fitting for a woman of her stature. We know she’s widowed, but it’s not clear when, since some widows (like Queen Victoria, herself) chose to never transition out of them. Hers are a deep, rich purple - the color of royalty – and speaks to her widowhood as well as her perception of self as a rich property owner and society doyenne. Don’t you know she’d LOVE to meet the Queen or run in that tier of society?

Green and purple, while contrasting (and the degree of contrast depends upon the shades, hues, etc.), are also considered complementary colors, meaning they can go well together in the right context. In this case, the colors speak to the familial relationship between mother and son, while also contrasting based upon their individual world views. They complement, but are not in full alignment with one another. 

When Rupert returns to Eliza’s home for the proposal at his mother’s urging (Ep 1, b), he wears the same green suit. This still reflects how he feels about himself as is evidenced by his very uncertain behavior (the non-proposal proposal). But this moment shifts the dynamic of Rupert and Eliza’s relationship, which brings us to Episode 2.

EPISODE 2.   
We first see Rupert in Episode 2 in his new home, independent of his mother. He and Eliza have come to an understanding about their relationship, and through this, we know that they have become business partners, and a bond is formed.

In this scene, Eliza is not wearing her “detective” suit, but her more subtle blue “at home/business” suit; she’s working, but not on a case.

Rupert, however, is becoming closer to his fully-realized self, and that is expressed in his demeanor as well as his choice of color. He’s standing more confidently, and is showing himself to be more comfortable in Eliza’s presence now they have firmly established the boundaries of their relationship.

He’s still in green pants (signifying his tie to his own family), but his waistcoat and jacket are blue, signifying his and Eliza’s coming together as working partners. And not just any blue, but a blue that almost exactly matches Eliza’s “detective” blue in both hue and saturation (Ep 2, a). They are in the detective business together. He wears this same suit later when he reveals his darkest secret to Eliza. The colors of his parlor are likewise in blue (blue = home), but with more eccentric décor touches, as would signify his being a “gentleman of particular taste.” (Ep 2, b) 

When we see Rupert later in Eliza’s kitchen - fearful that Eliza might reveal his secret in a confrontation with his mother whom he accompanied to Eliza’s house - he’s back under his mother’s thumb (and his old, pre-independent self). This is reflected in the green jacket, that his mother’s pull still covers him, even though his deeper desires (represented by the waistcoat that is closest to his heart) is in “Eliza blue.” (Ep 2, c)

EPISODE 4.   
I absolutely LOVE the Eliza-Rupert moments in Episode 4. Here, we really see them coming together as close friends and not just business associates. It’s obvious now they’ve developed a certain trust between one another, and that they share confidences. One of my favorite scenes in the entire series is where where Rupert and Eliza are having a drink and a gab session over their respective romantic woes. Let’s dig in, shall we?

The first time we see Rupert in this scene, he’s welcomed into Eliza’s home after having made his first-ever (!) stop at a newspaper stand. And what is he wearing? An all-blue suit. At this point, his deepest secret is out, and they are not just business associates, but full-on friends. They are now fully within each other’s orbit (Ep 4, a). Rupert’s vest also has a slight embellishment to it, which signifies his willingness to be more expressive as an individual, out from under his mother’s presence. Eliza is once again back in her primary “uniform,” and Ivy is in her maternal blue, and this time with a bit more colorful floral pattern (tones of golds and reds, which carry throughout Eliza’s costumes), which contrasts the masculine/feminine motifs of Eliza’s stripes (Ep 4, b).

For one of my favorite scenes, the “friends with wine” night, we see Rupert and Eliza kvetch over their respective relationship woes, and who doesn’t love a catty little gossip sesh over the men (or lack thereof) in their lives, or their need to form a “respectable” union, at least in the eyes of society. In this scene, Rupert is again in his Eliza blue, including waistcoat, and Eliza is again in her blue, but the softer, more feminine “at home” blue, indicating the more personal nature of their relationship, and not her “cop on the job” uniform (Ep 4, c). Also note that Rupert is now fully at ease in Eliza's presence, and her home, as evidenced by him sitting legs extended on the sofa.

The last time we see Rupert in Episode 4 is on the street, where he is off to escort Frauline Hildegard to the gardens. Here, he is wearing his blue suit, which aligns with the blue that Eliza is wearing (an entirely DIFFERENT blue for her, and one that has a flower motif I’ll discuss in a later post), but he is also wearing red gloves, which coordinate with the red accents Eliza is also wearing. BUT, those reds aren’t necessarily calling to one another specifically, so much as they are calling to the idea of romance… and who is Rupert there to court (knowing that he harbors no romantic feelings toward Eliza)? Frauline Hildegard. (Ep. 4, d) It may not be a conventional romance, but he is there to “extend a hand” romantically toward the Frauline, even if by a modern sense, we know it can only be a superficial kind of relationship, and not one that is deeply intimate.

EPISODE 5.  
This one will be brief because Rupert’s only in one scene, but what I love about this is that we finally get to see Rupert at his most “Rupert.” Here he is, comfortable in his surroundings as an independent man, and having settled his ideas about a “marriage,” even if but for convenience, he is finally free to express his true self, and is confident in doing so. That blue, gold and white waistcoat is GLORIOUS, and is my favorite thing he wears the entire series (Ep 5).

EPISODE 6.  
This one gets a bit tricky. Up to this point in the series, we’ve seen how Rupert has grown into his fully realized self via the changing of color. But, when he comes to see Eliza while she’s housebound, he is again feeling discombobulated. His ploy to hold off any engagement with Frauline Hildegard has been neutered completely (SCUPPERED, in fact), and along with it, the confidence he had grown into. So what is he wearing? A neutered/neutral plain tan suit. And since Eliza is not really paying attention to HIS issues so much as plotting on how to sneak around Duke once again, she’s being dismissive and berating him in a sense for not taking a firmer stance. 

Here, Rupert comes full circle to the not-as-confident, confused and uncertain man he was in Episode 1. He and Eliza are not necessarily in opposition, so much as there is distance, at least in this scene, where Eliza really only wants Rupert as an errand boy for Moses. 

Whew! That’s it for today. I *hope* to get into the Eliza-Duke dynamic tomorrow, but there is a LOT to uncover, and it may take more than one post, because there is a LOT of color mingling going on between those two that speaks to the deeper dynamic of their relationship. I hope these add a new sense of visual context to the series and that you can enjoy picking these things out in future re-watches.


	3. Color/Costume Analysis 3: Scarlet, Duke and the Color RedTh

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is my third in a series of posts providing a color and costume analysis as it relates to the Alibi/PBS Masterpiece series "Miss Scarlet and the Duke." These posts were originally posted as part of the Facebook fandom page and group called "Scarleteeers - Miss Scarlet and the Duke Fans." I am posting them here for ease of access only, however, we cannot post the reference photos here. Please join us in the group if you want the full experience.

Miss Scarlet and the Duke  
Post #3 Blue and Red: Home and Love/Passion

Okay, lasses, lads and everyone. Here is my first of (???) costume posts about William and Eliza. They’re so hot for each other, and they don’t even know it. Let’s explore that, shall we? And since it’s Friday, and we’re talking RED, enjoy this with a nice red wine, cranberry juice or whatever lively libation you prefer.

If you’ve not read my two previous posts on blue relating to Eliza and those within her orbit, you can visit #1 (Blue as Family, Home - posted Wednesday), and #2 (Eliza and Rupert - posted yesterday/Thursday). It’s not necessary to read either, but may provide more insight. In short, blue signifies two things to Eliza: blue as home in her professional and personal world, and blue as family in the people closest within her orbit.

I’ve decided to split the Eliza-William posts into three or four separate segments. This is because there’s not only a lot of material to cover, but also because that material intersects different literary and color themes both from the screenplay and the costuming standpoint.

Where Rupert’s costume color changes follow a pretty direct line in his ascension within Eliza’s orbit from acquaintance >> business partner >> friend/chosen family, the Duke-Eliza interplay is much more complex thematically, and in how the costumes and screenplay play together using specific literary and color themes.

Today’s post, which covers Episode 1, focuses on the emergence of red in the Eliza-Duke dynamic. Throughout the series, Eliza wears three different shades of red, and those shades run from a very deep, almost aubergine color (lighting plays a role in this, too), to a less dark but equally as rich ruby red, and then finally to a brighter “Scarlet” red. And in each instance of her wearing red, there are significant markers in the screenplay that speak to the changing relationship between Eliza and William.

The use of red also intersects with common literary tropes surrounding two specific female archetypes: whore/seductress/lust, and lover/wife. I’ll cover another archetype (mother) in a future post, since that shows in Ep 5, but new-to-her color of blue for Eliza.

WARNING: If you are offended by the literary/figurative concept of whore as a person who engages in an exchange of the act of sexual love for money (this can also be marriage/financial security), then I’d ask you to proceed with caution. I am NOT, in any way, indicating that our dear Eliza is literally a prostitute.

A note on William’s costumes. For all practical matters, William’s costumes remain fairly consistent, so there is not a lot to uncover save a few key elements, which I’ll point out as those are revealed. Unlike Rupert, who by birth and wealth is a man of leisure, William’s vocation requires that he wear fabrics that are durable and dark, since he spends time in the filthy London streets. As such, there’s less to go on, BUT, that didn’t mean the production team didn’t sneak in a few ideas on us.

EPISODE 1. ELIZA in DARK RED: Lust and the whore  
In the first scene between Eliza and William, it’s quickly established that they know one another. It’s not a “meet cute,” but rather a meet again, and it’s clear by this interaction (they’re annoyed with one another), that they share a history. William kisses Eliza’s hand as means of a formal greeting, and they call each other by their Christian names. Their rapport is already in conflict. In this scene, Eliza wears her “detective” blue uniform, and their conversation centers largely around casework. There’s a small exchange about Henry as a detective, but only as it relates to his work.

William wears his dark trousers, but his shirt is a light gray-blue, and his waistcoat is a rich, blue jewel tone (Ep 1a and 1b). It doesn’t mimic the blue that Eliza wears, nor the blue that Rupert evolves into, signifying his growing closeness with Eliza as business partner and friends, but is enough to show us that William is part of Eliza’s personal orbit.  
When Eliza ventures out to search for Clara Simms, she wears a deep wine or crimson-colored (blood) red suit. Or does she? Given the very dimmed lighting and muted color-grading, we can see that the skirt and hat are clearly a deep blood/crimson red, but what of the jacket? Blue? Plum? Aubergine? Something else? (Ep 1, c - And can we talk about the brilliant framing here? Eliza amid the crowd, on her way to a brothel, with a flame - another symbol of lust - behind her? Oh, I see you subtext!)

Eliza’s destination is a dance hall/brothel/whorehouse, and she goes in wearing blood red, the color of lust. (Ep 1, d) And what does she tell Ivy prior to going out? “This isn’t about ambition, Ivy. This is about money.” Eliza is subconsciously noting the lust <=> money exchange, but in a very subtle way. The red she wears not only contrasts with the vivid, bright or lighter colors worn by the dance hall girls, but as the only one in a deep red color, she most closely represents the idea of lustfulness (i.e. the Jezebel), who was portrayed in red. In this, she offers herself (figuratively) as the symbol of lust, but for whom? Cue the next scene, the medical exam room.  
Here again, we can see Eliza’s dark/blood red color, the color of lust. (Ep 1, e) And she artfully uses the illusion of being considered wonton to escape her situation by portraying herself as the object of lust, and none other than “the favored whore of Inspector William Wellington of Scotland Yard.” Up until now, Declan O'Dwyer, the DP and lighting folks have very cleverly concealed the color of the jacket. But...

When we transition to the next scene in William’s office, we get our first indication of a past shared history that extends beyond William’s friendship with Eliza’s father. In fact, we find there was a bit of romantic a involvement, or at least attraction (“I didn’t know that an innocent childhood kiss would make you my favoured whore.”). We also get a glimpse that the jacket is not red, it is in fact red and blue STRIPES. And what does blue represent for Eliza? Home and family. (Ep 1, f)  
Eliza is with William, having a conversation not about a case, a victim or a crime, but a kiss (lust) that is now connected to Eliza’s ruse of being William’s favored whore. So Eliza in blood red >> the color of lust >> William’s favored whore. But Eliza in blue >> home/family. So lust and home are paired in a scene with William, where the conversation centers around their first kiss and her being his “favorite.”

In the strictest literary (and economic) sense, the idea of whore as the exchange of sex for money also extends to the exchange of favors in the marriage bed, since in the heteronormative, patriarchal traditional, women bestow their sexual favors to men they marry in exchange for financial protection. For millennia, women were traded as chattel for gold and livestock (whether they were all consensual begs another topic) to propagate the family line, and in many cultures, the ownership of land.   
So back to the stripes in Eliza’s jacket. They marry the themes of lust/attraction with home/family, all in connection with William. And what do we see when William stands to open the door and escort Eliza out? HIS own waistcoat has a striped pattern on the back. The colors? Deep red and blue. (Ep 1, g) The costumes are used to call these characters to one another, through the expression of lust/attraction and home/family. This immediately precedes a deeper conversation about their kiss, and is when we realize there may be more to their history than meets the eye.  
So here we have, in a very subtextual way, an understanding of the Eliza <> William relationship that goes deeper than their dialog. See how this all dovetails nicely between story, costumes, lighting and direction? WHEW! Honey, I need some salts!   
Thank you, Declan and Leonie!  
That’s all for today. I’ll post Episode 2 over the weekend (I hope). I have a fic chapter to finish, as well. And can I say how much I enjoy these re-watches? Scarlet’s line in the livery with the prostitute “I will gladly return your eye,” cracks me up each and every time! *giggles*


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is my fourth in the series of color/costume posts on the series "Miss Scarlet and the Duke" that were originally posted in the fangroup "Scarleteers - Fans of Miss Scarlet and the Duke" page on facebook. I do not have the advantage of adding the photographs to this, but hopefully you can still get the idea through context.

Costume and color story post #4  
EP 2: THE LADY IN RED

Do you ever have one of those nights where you can’t sleep because your thoughts keep whirring in your head? That’s been me for a few nights as I’ve tried to put my thoughts together on all of these posts about color stories, costumes and how they add so much critical subtext to the narrative. And the more I watch, the more I see - I’m talking Christopher Nolan “Inception” and “Tenet” layers upon layers of back-and-forth-in-time-at-the-same-time kind of stuff, which I will get to in my very LAST recap (not really THAT complicated, I promise), but I had one of those “whoa” revelatory moments late last night that had me typing incoherent strings of letters on my phone, but I think I have those ideas sorted out. 

I’d originally thought to combine Episodes 2 and 3, but going back and re-watching Ep 3 AGAIN showed me EXACTLY how deep the narrative goes, especially the second half of that episode, which acts as a turning point in the dynamic of the entire series. Seriously, it is that important. So for the purposes of length, I’ll keep this focused on Episode 2.  
Before we get to that, let me recap briefly. In my first two posts, I spoke about the color BLUE and how it relates to Eliza’s personal orbit - both professionally, as a color of her detective work, and personally, the color of family and home. 

In my third post, which started the complex journey of considering the William-Eliza relationship in Episode 1, I introduced the color RED - a deep blood red - as it relates to LUST and attraction. It was when Eliza wore red after visiting the dance hall/brothel (a space that represents lust) that we realized there was a personal, romantic, or at least lustful, history between William and Eliza thanks to the revelation of a kiss when they were teenagers. I also noted, how using lighting and color-grading, Declan O'Dwyer and the production team very cleverly waited until the reveal of this shared history to also reveal that Eliza’s jacket wasn’t actually a deep blood red, but stripes of red and blue that were echoed by the red and blue stripes of William’s waistcoat. That these similar stripe patterns were worn by their respective characters in this pivotal scene indicated to us as the audience that there is a shared relationship between the two, not only via their personal orbits (Eliza’s orbit of blue), but their mutual attraction/lust for one another, even if they don’t fully know it.

That leads us to Episode 2: Eliza as Seductress  
This episode is titled “Lady in Red,” which is supposed to reference Mrs. Butler and her red coat, but is this really a red herring? Instead, perhaps it signifies Eliza, as “Lady” using her red dress and the allure of red as a color of seduction to flirt with and try to solicit assistance from William. Let’s pour some tea and discuss.  
When this episode opens, Eliza is visiting Rupert in his new home. She wears her “business/home” blue suit (the one with the velvet collar) to signify she is there for more of a friendly call - even if related to business - but she is not “on the case” wearing what I call her “detective blue” suit. (Ep 2, a). Here, she admits that the business is still “teething” and she needs to seek other ways to find funds. 

This is particularly dire since she finds out her father neglected to renew the lease on her home, and since she and Rupert agreed to not marry, she now owes Mrs. Parker for the total amount due or she will be evicted. 

So what’s a girl to do? Put on some David Bowie and some red shoes (or in Eliza’s case - a red dress) and dance the blues. Eliza asks Ivy to get out her “best” dress so she can head down to Scotland Yard to visit our favorite grumpy Scotsman. And what color is that dress? Red. A deep, seductive red. She is signalling her understanding of red (and by design, attraction), using her “best dress” as a seductive force.

When Eliza greets William, it’s not her usual, invasive “what’s on his desk” visit, but she openly flirts batting those big blue eyes, the first time we’ve seen her do this with him, using the power of red and seduction to pull him away from the men he was supposed to meet with in order to have tea with her. (Ep 2, b) And then once in his office, she assumes the traditional female role of serving the tea, while pitching the idea to him that she will work for money (red/seduction/lust as an exchange for “favors.”)  
But, he denies her tea (he pours himself whiskey instead), and denies her solicitation for work (he admits to spying on her), so she has to go back to getting cases the usual way - by snooping.

Here’s where we need to dip back into episode 1, and in particular to the style of her first red dress (or at least the one we thought was a deep blood red until it was revealed that it was actually red and blue striped). 

First, the shape of the jacket had a V neckline, but the line of the V was cut off by the line of the choker, creating a triangle, an ancient symbol of the “V” of the sacred feminine, calling forth the symbolism of the female chalice and fecundity most famously explored in Dan Brown’s “The DaVinci Code” and “Angels and Demons” books (Ep 1,d). It’s not a huge point here, but certainly one to consider.

And while that first jacket revealed skin, it was more akin to the idea of “lustfulness” as one might find in a dance hall, or brothel. Eliza used that power to trick Moses into giving her back her money once she got close enough to handcuff him by saying “let me show you what we skinny girls can do.” She’s aware of her power here, and was not afraid to use the idea of female lust in order to get what she wanted out of the situation (literally, her money). 

It was also in this dress that she used the power of the color to claim herself as the “favoured whore” of Inspector William Wellington in order to escape a very invasive personal examination from the police who had raided the brothel for an STD check. This idea of Eliza as “favored whore” is repeated by William at the moment it’s revealed he and Eliza share a (sort of) romantic history.

This leads us to the design of her “best” dress, which also echoes the same deep V pattern, symbolizing the power of the female, but in a more traditional Victorian design, with high collar, as would be more proper for a lady of her standing. And can we take a moment to marvel at the beauty of those pleats? They are at once intricate, delicate and strong, and reminiscent of some of the woven leather and pleating used in ancient Greco-Roman armor. So, she is not only using red as a color of allurement, but she is putting on armor to defend herself from any barbs that might be thrown her way from the very object of her attraction, William. (Ep 2, c)

This also empowers her to berate William when he’s again late at a crime scene for his lack of efficiency by decrying his “drinking, gambling and womanizing.” So, again, red becomes the conduit of personal dialog and conversations between the two (their first conversation being about their shared kiss). 

It’s important to note here that we only believe William to be a drinking, gambling whoremonger because of Eliza’s perceptions of him. We as an audience never actually see this, and if it were the intent, in a visual medium such as TV, the writers and directors would make sure to show us these actions, and not just show us through Eliza’s voice. We know William drinks with Frank and the boys, but everything else is given us through Eliza’s ideas about William, and doesn’t come from William himself. 

We also need to compare Eliza as Lady in Red with Tabitha Butler (Ep 2, d), whose husband gave her a red coat. There are two clues here in the dialog that also echo the Eliza - William rapport related to red. 

#1. Tabitha’s husband gave her the red coat so she would “stand out in a crowd.” (We won’t get in too deep as to why that was because it’s not significant to this context). Where else did Eliza wear red? But in Episode 1, while in the dance hall/brothel, where she was the ONLY woman wearing red among the other girls who were in bright greens, orange, white and other colors that were not red. Annnndddd…. if we connect this back to Eliza’s perception of William taking up with dance hall girls (not that he’s got a whistle-clean past), we know this to NOT be true because they were not wearing red and as such, did not (to William’s eyes) stand out in a crowd like Eliza does. SHE stands out to him. SHE is (his) lady in red.

#2. Tabitha also reveals to Eliza that she wears the red coat to “be close to her husband.” This echoes Eliza’s own subconscious act of wearing red as a means of “getting closer to” William when she wants something from him, and the color she wears when they delve into personal matters between the two. Fast forward to the scene at the morgue. William goes to inspect the body from the Butler crime scene, and what does he find out? That, according to the examiner, William’s “wife” is also present. Of course, William denies this. But why? Well, because it is literally true in terms of where the characters are at this point in the narrative. However, symbolically, we also know that this is true because Eliza is back to wearing blue, in this case, her “home/business” blue, which is her “family” blue. I’m going to ask you to put a pin in this as it relates to Episode 3, and I’ll talk about it in my next segment. 

Much of the rest of the episode centers on Eliza, Rupert and Eliza’s newfound understanding of Rupert’s life, and in particular, his personal passions and attractions. However, there are two more moments that are important to point out relating to the idea of red. 

When William and Eliza go to the Butler home, Eliza immediately notices the red coat is not on the coat hook in the Butler’s home. She understands here that the red represents not just deep attraction (as it did in the red she wore as a means of seduction with William), but in this sense, anger and retribution as part of a “crime of passion.”

Mrs. Butler, obviously bereaved at not only her husband’s infidelity, but the revelation of his true nature as a gay man, attends his execution wearing her red coat (Ep 2, e), for the purpose of “standing out in the crowd,” where he will see her. This is a means of exacting her idea of retribution for the shame she feels over the revelation of his being gay. Eliza is quickly able to identify Mrs. Butler when she turns up at the gallows, and aware of the seductive allure of red, convinces Mrs. Butler to give up the suicide letter that saves her husband.

Finally, when Eliza and William are back in the SY headquarters, Mrs. Butler is there again in her red coat, and it is here when William acknowledges that “Eliza saw something” that he obviously did not. It is also the first time openly acknowledges Eliza’s skill in solving cases, and is starting to understand her more as being of value to him. (He also delivers that swoony line “I can’t handle yeooouuu.”) So even though Eliza was not wearing red in this particular scene, we cannot deny the power of red and its role in seduction/attraction.

Alright. That, as they say, is the tea, folks! At least until we get to Epi 3, and then, there is a LOT to uncover. I hope to have it up by the end of the week.


	5. Color/Costume Analysis 5: The One Where it All Changes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Who’s ready for a long, LONG costume/color post a day early? There is so much here to chew on. 
> 
> Miss Scarlet and the Duke  
> Costume and Story Commentary for “Deeds Not Words”  
> EP 3: The one where it all turns around
> 
> These are all meant to accompany the posts to the Scarleteers - Miss Scarlet and the Duke Fan Group on Facebook, and to keep all of these works contained in one place. If you want to see these analyses with the photos, please visit the facebook group.

One of the primary differences between American serial TV and British TV is that many British shows follow a narrative and character arc throughout an entire series, or at least a season. So, while the show might include specific plot lines within each episode that are fully formed with a first, second and third act/denouement, those episodes also add another layer of intrigue and revelation in terms of the series’ greater narrative arc. This is also the reason why many British series have fewer episodes per series/”season.” These series are structured more like a three-act feature film, but extended over multiple individual episodes.

In “Miss Scarlet and the Duke,” this larger narrative follows Eliza’s journey as she evolves in her pursuit to become a female detective. As a counterpoint, it also reflects Willam’s perception OF her as the same. As was noted in the Instagram live chat with Kate Phillips and Stuart Martin, our two protagonists (or protagonist and anti-hero/antagonist, as the case may be) mirror one another (or are magnets) along this journey, and it takes us a while to see how it is all reflected back. In some ways, I see them more as the Yin and Yang, opposites, yet yielding and conforming with one another to create a singular whole. And while Episode 4 (I’ll get to in the next post) explores what happens AFTER this dynamic shift between the two, it’s the middle 1/3 of Episode 3 where we find the turning point of the narrative, and it progresses in three very specific scenes.   
I’ll intro those three scenes with brackets.

If we are looking at this from the format of a traditional three-act screenplay - with Act 1 being Episodes 1 and 2, and Act 2 being Episodes 3 and 4, and Act 3 being Episodes 5 and 6, then the middle third of Episode 3 is more or less around what’s considered the “midpoint,” where new information or a new development for our protagonist alters his or her course in terms of the overall narrative. For us, these three specific scenes in Episode 3 that REALLY dig in and show this pivot in multiple ways - the mirrors of Eliza and William turned to show how things are reflected back on one another. The color story here works to cement that shift, especially in terms of Eliza’s INTERNAL development as a character. 

For those just catching up on my color-theory posts, here’s an abbreviated recap: BLUE to Eliza represents home, including her feeling at “home” with her chosen career, as well as “at home” with those in her orbit - to varying degrees. RED represents the varying colors of passion - lust, seduction, anger, revenge, and as we’ll see in this episode, something a bit more. Each of these colors has played out in different ways to help provide subtext and substance to how the characters not only interact, but how the story continues to evolve. 

And y’all, Episode three is like a Victorian lady’s dressing routine - layer after layer after layer of goodies. And that’s why it is so critical to the entire series narrative. Buckle in, won’t you?

When Episode 3 opens, we see our heroine sitting impatiently at her desk, wearing her Power Blue suit (Ep 3, a), waiting on her first appointment. And she’s obviously perturbed, but at what, or whom? None other than our favorite grumpy Scotsman, Mr. William “Duke” Wellington, who is two hours late, reeking of whiskey, hungover or perhaps still drunk after a “late night at the office.” And why is he here? To solicit Eliza’s help in a case! Yes, just what she wanted AND actually asked for in Episode 2 when she went to William’s office in her “best” (and dark red) dress. So, in this, we can say that the seductive Power of the V in her red dress might have worked. Or did it? 

“Well, I believe you are the best man for the job,” William half-slurs, chortling at his own joke, which Eliza obviously finds no humor in. Up until this point, he’s seen Eliza as an anomaly, an annoyance, a trifling small-d “hobby” detective, with little value outside of her female-ness, although he’s starting to come around to her intellect. But for this, he finds a very specific reason to hire her - and for what? Infiltrate a group of women who want to, *gasp* SMASH THE PATRIARCHY! (Can I get a heck, yeah?) 

Off to her assignment she goes. But, instead of wearing her “detective/Power Blue” suit as you’d expect her to when she’s on the case, she opts for something different. And what is that? Red. Her “best” red Power V dress , in particular, the same one she wore when she tried to curry favor with William by flirting and acting rather solicitous in Episode 2.

Now, remember in my Episode 2 recap when I asked you to put a pin in the scene from the morgue - the one where the medical examiner kept calling Eliza William’s “wife,” and William denied that Eliza was his wife? While literally that is still true, in that scene, that denial was also symbolic because Eliza was in blue (her “at home” blue with the velvet collar).  
But what role does she choose to take on when wearing her red dress to infiltrate this group of women? That of a wife. Even when she could have chosen to go as a single lady interested in women’s suffrage, she put on her red dress and created a “false identity” for herself as Sadie, Sadie (or rather Alice) married lady. In this, Eliza also understands that the power of red is not just valuable in luring men, but also as a means of communicating her status of “wife” - something valued in Victorian society - to a group of women. The power of V once again! (Ep 3, b)

These women may be for women’s rights in their words, but their colors, and the embellishments of their garb demonstrate they are still bound by the traditional trappings of Victorian society. Eliza is the only one among the group that is walking the walk (deeds) in by following her passion of becoming a detective. In her red, and more modernized design, Eliza again stands out against a fabric bouquet of peaches, yellows, aquas, and browns, and all the frippery and lace you could wish for in a Victorian dress. And just like in the brothel scene in Episode 1, she is again the “Lady in Red” who stands out against all others. (Ep 3, c)

Cue the next scene. Oh, wait …   
We now interrupt this programming to admire Stua… erm, William’s, unkempt, hand-ruffled hair. Who’s been doing the ruffling? I wonder. (Ep 3, d). Sigh.

CUT TO: Interior, William’s Office, Day

[SCENE 1 of 3]

This is the first of the three scenes I referenced above where the character development of William and Eliza begins to shift, especially in terms of how Eliza views herself, her abilities, and how to relate to William so as to solicit the best working relationship with him. Of course, as it’s still William, it starts with conflict (it always starts with conflict). And God, I love this scene! 

William, stewing in contempt over Eliza’s assault of PC Honeychurch for his derogatory comment about being one of William’s tarts, can barely hold in his own emotions related to Eliza’s actions. “Before you start yelling and thumping the desk would you at least listen to what I have to say?” “No,” he replies, before berating her for her lack of self-control.  
“Are you a woman, or a detective?, he asks. “Why should there be a distinction?” she snaps back. And indeed, to her, there is NOT a distinction, because *fanfare* WOMEN CAN BE MORE THAN ONE THING AT ONCE. 

But how do we as the audience know this outside of our OWN experiences? Look no further than Eliza’s skirts as she is leaving Scotland Yard. See that? THERE??!! Underneath Eliza’s disguise, and her facade as a woman and a “wife,” she wears her POWER BLUE PETTICOAT. (Ep 3, e and tryptich). Like a superhero cape, but underneath! She doesn’t need to choose between being one thing or another, because she’s already showing she can BE BOTH, and can multi-task with the best of them. Her IDENTITY as a WOMAN (the red clothes she wears as an outer layer) does not in any way take away from her being a detective. 

And who’s more organized, and punctual, and methodical, and challenges the premises of how William thinks about cases? Hm. Who, indeed!

This transcends perfectly into her encounter with Margaret on the sidewalk (second of the three scenes I referenced).

[SCENE 2]

EXTERIOR, Sidewalk outside of Scotland Yard, Day

Margaret waits for Eliza after her arrest for hitting PC Honeychurch.

MARGARET: I’ve seen that look many times before. It’s the look of having battled with a man or spoilt child.

ELIZA: (thoughts on William) Are they not one in the same?

MARGARET: You saw the other members. The movement needs fresh blood. A new generation.” ← Here, Margaret looks right at Eliza’s V, and acknowledges the power of the female V and the blood red of Eliza via her costume. (Ep 3, f)  
When Eliza notes to Margaret that there are “certain aspects about my life that are complicated,” she is referencing not only her inner conflict about who she is vis-a-vis her career, but her relationship with William, as well. And she is literally hiding those complications under her skirt.

When we get to the next scene at the Suffragette committee meeting, look how Eliza is framed walking through the door. She is in shadow. We don’t know which Eliza will emerge until she comes into the light. (Ep 3, g) Will it be “wife” in red Eliza, or Power Blue detective Eliza? This represents her choice and the direction she wants to take with her life - her deed versus her words. And as she walks through the doorway, it’s detective Eliza we get - and of course, as soon as William arrives, her cover is blown.

And when we find Eliza and William back at the morgue, he echoes his earlier sentiments that he “only hired her because she was a woman” and needed someone to infiltrate the group. SO, even in her Power Blue, he still doesn’t see her as “detective” Eliza, only “female” Eliza. Exasperated, Eliza recognizes she needs another tactic here, but what?

[SCENE 3 of 3] 

INTERIOR, Eliza’s Office, Day 

This scene to me represents the midpoint of the story, where Eliza is given information that helps her gain a new perspective that changes the trajectory of how not just WE see her, but more importantly, how SHE SEES HERSELF. 

This is her *existential crisis* moment. She realizes her traditional female ploys using red to attract William (lust/seduction/disguise) are not working to get William to see or respect her as the detective she knows she can be. In this, Rachel and the filmmakers cleverly use Henry as Eliza’s conscience to help her come to that realization. And it’s this internal conversation where Eliza re-sets her course in terms of both her career and her relationship with William, once she realizes she needs to deal with him using “logic, and cold, hard facts.” New information: *dingdingdingdingding*

So, back to William’s office she goes, in her POWER BLUE, loaded with facts. (Ep 3, h) She’s not comfortable with this approach, as is evidenced by her stammering, but NEVERTHELESS, SHE PERSISTED! 😉 And once she presents William with the evidence she found about Margaret, he not only elects to listen and follows up with the next phase in the investigation, he then openly acknowledges she did good work!

The next pivotal scene takes place in Eliza’s home when William stops by to update Eliza on his interview with Margaret’s brother. What he doesn’t realize (and what Eliza keeps from him) is that she’d had a confrontation with Margaret herself, which cast doubt on Eliza’s own ideas about herself as a woman in the larger context of a man’s world.  
What’s interesting here that this is the first time we’ve seen Eliza in her shirtsleeves, and doing so in William’s presence. (Ep 3, i) She’s confused, vulnerable, and letting him see that side of her to a certain extent, even if she is hiding information from him. It’s also the first time we see her uncertain of her choices. She’s in red, the symbol of her womanhood, but she is not armed with her “Power V” jacket, nor is she wearing her “Power Blue” color. Instead, she feels exposed, and her costume expresses her uncertainty. It’s also here where she considers not continuing with the case.

However, here’s also where we see William shift. Instead of saying that he hired her because she was a woman, he says “I hired you to do a job,” and even though there is discord over the terms of that job and whether she completed it as assigned, it’s still a shift in how he sees her contribution to the case. He also solicits her help in questioning the women of the society because he recognizes her ability to interrogate them AS WOULD A DETECTIVE, but also CONNECT WITH THEM as a woman.

And what does Eliza wear to said interrogation? CUE HUGE COSTUME CHANGE. NOT her Power Blue detective suit, NOT her Power V red suit, but a red skirt and red kerchief (tie) with a medium-dark blue jacket. (Ep 3, j) THIS is the culmination of her two ideas about herself expressed in one costume. This color blue is also closer to the darker blues worn by Ivy, who represents the traditional woman of the home (I’ll explore this a lot more in Episode 5). Eliza is finding her center-point between her personal world and her professional world. And since it’s the most “traditionally” victorian jacket we have seen her wear, it also helps her connect to the women from the club she is there to interrogate. And contrast this with the costume of the women’s group treasurer, whose costume has not changed, meaning also she has not changed.   
When we transition to the NEXT scene after the interrogation, she and William are sharing information about the case in a way we’ve not seen before: they are openly collaborating and communicating on the same level, which leads to their discovery about the possible bombing of the gentlemen’s club at Margaret’s hands.

The episode wraps up with a coalescence of sorts between Eliza and William. He starts to see her dilemma during Margaret’s interrogation, defending Eliza against accusations of being no better than a whore, and acknowledging her worth. He’s not so ready to make waves by crediting Eliza for her work in front of Chief Stirling, but the wheels are starting to turn. See you in Episode 4!!!   
© jlmcommunications


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